Archive for the ‘AutoArt’ tag

In the November issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines, I reviewed AutoArt’s 1/18th-scale Mad Max Interceptor – an awesome model of the car from the second movie that comes with a number of accessories, including the blue heeler, the Dinki-Di dog food and a couple machetes. But my major complaint with it was that it was too clean. I can see why AutoArt did that – who, they had to have reasoned, would have bought a dirtied-up model?

Enter Paul Miller, a California-based modeler who specializes in adding realistic dirt and detail to models. He’s the dedicated fan that I briefly mentioned in the review, and he enhances his dirtying-up process by placing the die-cast model on a diorama and adding a number of accessories, not the least of which is the model of Max himself, to the diorama.

Little escapes his attention to detail. Check out the splash of fuel around the filler of one of the gas tanks. Or the padded seat for the blue heeler. Paul describes the scene above as one in which “Max, while filling up his car with precious petrol, spots some marauding bikers in the distance,” though he will custom build models and dioramas for each customer to specified levels of complexity. Depending on that complexity, he charges between $400 and $700 for his dioramas. Paul can be reached at 310-795-0185.

AutoArt has been going gangbusters with its line of high-detail 1:18 and 1:43 scale cars for so long that it’s easy to forget that they have a 1:64
scale line. For a while there, we’d thought that AutoArt had forgotten about it, too: While the quality was never in doubt, their early-new-millennium lineup of Corvettes, Porsche 911s, Minis, VW New Beetles, PT Cruisers and
BMW sportsters was getting a little creaky. Bigger cars mean bigger profits and fewer units shifted to rake in big cash, so it appeared that the small-scale line was on the back burner, suffering with just one or two new castings a year.

No longer, however! AutoArt appears recommitted to small-scale in 2007, with
a number of new castings making their way down the pike in short order.
Currently available are a 2005 Mustang (in red or Legend Lime), the Ford Shelby Concept from a couple of years back in three colors (though it’s not
strictly correct, it’s stunning in blue), Petter Solberg’s WRC Subaru Impreza racer, and more. All are precisely rendered in 1:64 scale, offering
the highest levels of detail seen in three-inch size, down to separate headlamp lenses, prototypically correct wheels (sometimes on hard wheels, sometimes on treadless soft tires) and more. Alas, you will pay for that detail: it’s rare to find AutoArt models for less than $10 apiece, and newer ones will often be closer to $15.

Our personal favorite out of the new models is the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron: It’s picture-perfect, and the myriad delicate details will stand out, especially if you park it next to a $1 version of the same Bugatti. It comes in an acrylic display case, as do all AutoArt 1:64 cars, but also comes with
a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity tucked into the delicately embossed blue-paper outer box.

Anyone who collects die-cast knows that one of the biggest players in the
game is AutoArt; their picture-perfect 1:18, 1:43 and 1:64 scale models of
select European, Asian and American fare are among the most detailed
available in their respective scales.
Now, AutoArt has opened a retail
outlet in Pasadena, California–the only retail shop that the company has on
American shores! Store manager Bill Tran is also in charge of business
development for AutoArt in the United States, working with the various car
companies on licensing approvals and other activities.

So what? Besides selling the latest and greatest in scale, there are also
occasionally prototype models on display! Imagine walking into Mattel and
seeing what the new Hot Wheels are going to be. Never gonna happen. But
AutoArt makes this a reality with its Pasadena shop. If you want to get up
close and personal with some of the greatest models both soon-to-be and
currently for sale, and those who make them, you could do a lot worse than
swinging by the AutoArt store.
It’s located at 99 East Union Street,
Pasadena, CA 91103-3924; Telephone 626-229-9899. Thanks to Mike Foertsch at www.xanga.com/toyotageek and Chuck Copeland for telling us about this
model-collecting haven!

(This post originally appeared in the August 24, 2006, issue of the Hemmings eWeekly Newsletter.)

Trevor Young, co-creator of the Biante line of die-cast collectibles, died at his home in Perth, Australia, January 2. He was also a staunch supporter of Australian Touring Car racing, both contemporary and vintage.

The Biante name was a combination of Bev and Trevor (B&T, or Biante). For those unaware of the Biante range of models, you’re missing out. A wide range of muscle-era and contemporary Holden (GM of Australia) and Ford Falcon coupes, sedans and utes are available in 1:18, 1:43 and 1:64 scale. AutoArt’s factories in China manufacture the vehicles, so quality is high, and with limited production of a given model/color, demand runs high. Both street-stock and touring-car race versions of many castings are available.
Young was instrumental in trying to rationalize at least one aspect of Australia’s tough Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act; historically correct graphics on his models were not legal under the law. He went so far as to send Australian lawmakers copies of a ’70s-era 1:18 Holden with correct cigarette sponsorship markings, with a letter declaring the following: “…these Collectables are in fact glimpses of history and are faithfully reproduced by my company as such. I see no difference to a magazine, or book or a video tape of these historic events which are readily for sale to anyone, portraying the same moment of history, with the vehicles in their ‘as raced’ livery for all to see … I feel that to exclude the “Marlboro” logo from this model would be tampering with an historic representation of how this vehicle existed in 1978. Were my products $1.50 toys for children, sold through Toys ‘R’ Us, Kmart or the likes, I would be fully in agreement that it was socially unacceptable and unethical. Whilst I agree that it could possibly offend some sections of the community to be displayed as is, I also strongly feel that a responsible collector (which they must be to invest $168) is entitled to have a model that depicts that moment in history this vehicle has become famous for.”
The move was ultimately unsuccessful, though it garnered considerable press attention. For more information on the Biante range, or to leave a condolence message for Bev Young, click the following link: www.biante.com.au.

(This post originally appeared in the January 26, 2006, issue of the Hemmings eWeekly Newsletter.)